Big tech and finance are driving inequality while right wing populism threatens women’s rights in the 21st century, according to a trailblazing trade unionist who will speak at the University.
Frances O’Grady, the former general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), will deliver the 2026 Alice Bacon Lecture at the University’s Great Hall on Thursday, March 12.
Ms O’Grady, now a Labour peer, will speak about the battle for equality – from the Pill revolutionising reproductive choices to the gender pay gap, the grassroots Me Too movement and the shocking revelations of the Epstein files.
She said: “Today, the biggest threat to women’s rights comes from right-wing populism. Labour must tackle the economic fear and inequality that fuels the rise of the extreme right and stand up for the decent majority. Better paid paternity leave is just one example. As well as dads, it would be good for babies and mums and offer a positive alternative to poisonous Andrew Tate-type models of masculinity.
“It’s an honour to follow so many brilliant women in giving this year’s Alice Bacon lecture.”
The lecture will explore “what’s gone wrong in Britain, and how Labour can deliver a real new deal for working women and men alike”, she added.
Labour must tackle the economic fear and inequality that fuels the rise of the extreme right and stand up for the decent majority
The talk is the latest in the annual Alice Bacon lecture series hosted by the Centre for Democratic Politics at the University of Leeds, which celebrates the achievements of pioneering women and is named for Leeds Labour MP Alice Bacon. Elected in 1945, Alice Bacon campaigned for better education for working class girls and boys. Leeds did not return another woman to the Commons until the election in 2010 of Leeds West and Pudsey MP, and now Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves.
Ms Reeves partnered with the University’s School of Politics and International Studies to establish the lectures, with the aim of celebrating the achievements of successful women – locally and nationally.
She said: “I am thrilled to announce Baroness Frances O’Grady as our speaker for this year’s Alice Bacon Lecture.
“As a distinguished trade unionist and campaigner for workers’ rights, she has been a relentless advocate for working women. Her lifelong efforts to expand opportunities for working people and her insistence on fair pay and economic justice resonates deeply with the pioneering spirit of Alice Bacon.
“Alice Bacon shattered political barriers for women, dedicating herself to enhancing opportunities for the people she served. Frances’s record and commitment to working people makes her a fitting speaker for this lecture, continuing the legacy of empowerment and progress.”
Frances O’Grady
Frances O’Grady was the first woman to hold the post of General Secretary for the TUC, taking up the position in 2013. She stood down in 2023 and was appointed as a Labour peer to co-lead opposition in the Lords to the then Conservative government's anti-strikes Minimum Service Levels Bill.
Starting as a T&G union rep and throughout her working life, Frances has campaigned tirelessly for workers’ rights. Fair pay, and race and gender equality, are core ambitions of hers.
She has worked on several successful campaigns for the introduction of a national minimum wage and equal pay for women. In 1997 she was appointed to head up the TUC's New Unionism campaign and launched the Organising Academy. The Academy aims to challenge the stereotypical image of the trade unionist as 'male, pale and stale', to a profile better suited to the TUC’s six million plus membership – which is now 50:50 men and women.
On behalf of the TUC, Frances played a prominent role in the campaign for Britain to remain in the European Union. During Covid, Frances led negotiations for the furlough scheme which protected 11 million jobs. Frances now sits on the board of GB Energy to represent workers' interests and champion a just transition.
The Alice Bacon Lecture Series
The inaugural lecture was given in 2018 by Harriet Harman – the House of Commons’ longest continuously serving female MP – followed in 2019 by Baroness Hale of Richmond, who was the first female President of the Supreme Court and the country’s most senior judge until her retirement from the role in December that year.
After a break in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the series returned in 2021 with Baroness Doreen Lawrence, who spoke about women in the public eye and her personal journey. In 2022, the lecture was given by celebrated classicist, Professor Mary Beard, who spoke on women in power. Dame Sharon White, the Chair of the John Lewis Partnership, delivered the lecture in 2023 on the topic of female leadership.
The most recent lecture, delivered in 2025, was given by broadcaster and journalist Naga Munchetty, who spoke on gender inequality in healthcare and medical misogyny.
Booking
The Alice Bacon Lecture will be held in the University’s Great Hall from 6:30pm to 7:30pm on Thursday, March 12. Tickets are free.
Visit Eventbrite to book your tickets.
Further information
- Main image: Frances O’Grady © House of Lords / photography by Roger Harris
- More information on the University of Leeds website.
- Free tickets can be booked via Eventbrite.
- Contact University of Leeds press officer Victoria Prest with media enquiries, via email to pressoffice@leeds.ac.uk.